Be My Cinderella
by bell.esque
Summary: ShikaIno 'She’s a drama queen twenty four seven, and now she has a reason.'


Title: Be My Cinderella  
Author/Artist: Kikoru-chan  
Pairing: Yamanaka Ino x Nara Shikamaru  
Fandom: Naruto  
Theme: #6 the space between dream and reality, 夢と現の間  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Naruto, including characters, settings, and plots.  
Warning: crack!, pre-school!  
A/N: Okay, this was a little better. :) I like how it came out a little better than the last.

* * *

_Be My Cinderella_

"OH. MY. GOD," Ino squealed, tugging me by the collar of my shirt roughly, nearly tearing me from the comfortable, stable ground that I was standing on, "Shikamaru, there's going to be a school play!"

For some reason, she was totally into plays and drama (she's a drama queen twenty-four seven, and now she has a REASON.)

"And look, you_ have_ to try out!" she screeched into my ear, using my shoulders as support while she jumped. I'm going to be _deaf_ before I even turn seven this year. "That means Sasuke-kun can me the prince, and I'll be Cinderella, and we'll _kiss_!"

Ugh, that Sasuke-kun crap _again._

(Yes, I _know_ what that word is. Sure, I'm only _six_, but I'm observant.)

Okay, so 'Sasuke-kun' is the man of _everyone's_ dreams. Even some _guys_ in our class are _already_ gay.

(Once again, _six_?)

Anyway, 'Sasuke-kun' is actually called Uchiha Sasuke. He's PMS-ing all the time, and best friends with Naruto and (sorta) Sakura, who is still slightly in her super-fangirl-phase. But it seems like _hers_ will pass at least. Ino's is almost never ending.

Scratch that.

It_is_ never ending.

She wants to have some fairytale ending with the guy. I don't see what people see in him. _Sure_, he's rich and handsome and ski—

Actually, I think that's _enough_ for mindless girls to fall head over heels for him.

How troublesome.

"SHIKAMARU, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I'M GOING TO BE A STAR!" she screamed again, "AND I'M GOING TO GET MARRIED TO SASUKE-KUN!"

I think I immediately felt an extremely dark aura from behind us, and Ino must've felt it too, because she turned around and was a centimeter close to being punched.

"Ah, Sakura-_chan_, jealous that I have such _talent_?" the blonde (idiot) sneered.

The pink haired girl, that was shorter than us, might I point out, glared at us (or rather, Ino) menacingly, gritting her teeth.

"Actually,_no_," she says firmly, "I'm just glad Sasuke _accepts_ me as a friend. He doesn't even _like_ you."

_Ou—_

—_wait_. No "-kun"?

"Hmph, whatever," Ino said, crossing her arms, "I _bet_ you that it's just because there's that rule, 'You can't fall in love with your best friend,' so he got an ugly one that he _knew_he wouldn't like. That's why I have Shikamaru here."

Okay,_no_. That was just _mean_.

Sakura, on the other hand, seemed to have a heart. She was shocked for a moment before she glared even more at Ino.

"You know, you _shouldn't_ say that about a friend," she snapped, "I'm sure Shikamaru's actually a good friend, but you just don't want to admit it. He's probably a better friend than _you_."

She then stomped off, with a nervously laughing Naruto and a questioning Sasuke. When Sakura told them the story and tried to shrug it off, but was obviously a little bit upset, probably almost crying, the troublesome girl, Sasuke glared really, really _hard_ at Ino.

Like_ really_ hard.

The Uchiha death glare hard.

I'm almost sure Ino winced before turning away and pouting.

"Okay, class, it's time to pick the roles for the play!" the teacher said, clapping her pale hands together, "Get into your seats."

When I looked back at Sakura, who sat in between Naruto and Sasuke, her face was a little bit red, and both the boys were glaring. I sank into my chair and faced forward again, sparing Chouji and Ino a quick glance.

Chouji was eating his chips. I asked for one, which he gave to me happily. It wasn't the last one, after all.

Ino was bubbling with joy, now, as the teacher wrote names and covered them up, using lines to randomly pick.

"Okay, here are your parts...oh..."

Ino immediately fainted.

Chouji looked at us wearily.

Sakura and Naruto cackled and high-fived.

Sasuke was obviously smirking.

And me?

I choked on my chip.

* * *

"I'm home."

Because, well, I _was_.

"Oh, hi," my dad said, looking up before reading the newspaper again.

"Hi," my mother said in an unusually sweet voice, wiping her hands on a towel, "How was your day?"

My turn to take out the garbage, I _guess_.

"We're doing a play. And I got a lead role. Now I have to memorize more lines. How troublesome."

"Aw, it's okay! You'll be a star! What play?"

"Cinderella."

"Oh, who's your lover? Hm," she teased meanly.

God, I'm _six_. Nobody understands that.

"Um...Ino."

Then my dad burst out laughing.

"Inoichi's daughter? PAH. I'd like to see that."

* * *

Okay, my day wasn't great.

I got home, and dragged my lazy feet in. It felt like they were ten million tons.

"Hi, mom."

She looks down at me, her blue eyes happy and jovial.

"Hi! Did you get the part?"

"Um...no. Well, not with the right person."

She smiled and hugged, "It's okay! You'll be a star anyway, sweetheart."

I try to smile back, but it's really hard to tilt my lips upward now.

"Yea, I guess. Thanks. I have to go practice."

* * *

After slightly more than three weeks of practice, we were on show. Performing. In front of an actual audience.

I think I got those troublesome lines down for once. But I still feel uncomfortable wearing this.

The curtains opened, and I blinked slightly, because the lights were so bright.

Sakura played a small part. She just needed to be shown in a casket.

Sasuke had to pretend to be sad. He actually did an okay job.

Naruto? I think he was the person reading from that thick book.

Hinata and Ami were the stepsisters. Hinata wasn't very good at being mean, which was a good thing in real life, but Ami was.

The scenes kept going, and finally it was the ball. I saw Ino, and she saw me.

"May I have this dance?"

"Yes, you may."

We danced for a little bit before the clock struck.

"I must go! Good bye, prince?"

"Wait, wait! Who are you?...You dropped your shoe! Oh how will I find you? Every woman in the kingdom must try this shoe!"

The scene changed to morning, and there was a line of girls trying the shoe on. Finally, it was the end. And the _kiss_.

UGH.

"I_don't_ want to do this," Ino hissed, "But I will."

She smacked her lips on mine almost immediately before pulling back and taking a breath. I blinked at her slightly, as the class got together and held hands while the curtains came down. They reopened, and our teacher read the cast.

"Haruno Sakura as the deceased mother.

"Uchiha Sasuke as the father.

"Uzumaki Naruto as the priest.

"Hyuuga Hinata and Watanabe Ami as the stepsisters."

The list went on, but I wasn't really listening. It was too troublesome, and I don't think I even knew half of those people's names. They'd fill my brain with useless things.

But then, Ino smiled at me.

"I think I love you."

"And, finally, Yamanaka Ino as the prince and Nara Shikamaru as Cinderella!"

_I think I love you, too._


End file.
